Wainscot Media Blog

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” We’ve all heard the expression, and it’s still true—even in the ever-changing world of marketing, even in our age of smartphones, marketing automation and social media.

Some of the most effective marketing tools at your disposal were around long before Al Gore invented the Internet. Perhaps the most powerful of those time-tested tools is the custom magazine.

Custom publications have been proven to drive brand recognition and reader engagement: There are currently more than 85,000 custom titles being published, and 77% of respondents in a Custom Publishing Council study said that custom publications improved their opinion of the sponsoring brand, while 74% said that they’d taken recent action as a result of their experience with the publication.

Making the decision to invest in a custom magazine is a big one, but it’s one that can have huge results. Here are some of the ways a custom magazine can help you dramatically improve your hospital’s brand:

Build name recognition

A great way to make your name stand out from the pack is to place it on content people actually want to consume. Unlike TV commercials that get muted or letters that get thrown in the trash, custom magazines are designed to give their readers exactly what they’re looking for: highly relevant content that they’ll not only be happy to read but also eager to pass along to their family and friends.

The Association of Magazine Media’s latest factbook shows that “magazines are more trusted, inspiring and influential than any other media,” and with 91% of adults consuming magazine content, there are few ways to reach a higher percentage of the population. A custom magazine can create ripples of recognition throughout your community.

Educate your local community

Educating the community on important health topics is part of any hospital’s mission. You could spend weeks or months working to improve your search engine rankings so people end up on your website instead of WebMD or a competing hospital’s site, or you could meet them halfway with the information they’re looking for.

If you’re located in an area with a lot of retirees, you can focus on topics related to staying healthy as you age. If you work for a children’s hospital, you can provide new parents with the information they need to help their children stay happy and healthy. The trick is knowing your community’s needs and anticipating its concerns.

Drive web traffic

With the rise of the web and social media, the content you create is no longer limited by the number of pages in a magazine. It’s easy to give readers a glimpse into what’s going on at your hospital and then send them to your website to learn even more. Surveys and questionnaires are easier to use than ever as well, because you don’t have to worry about tabulating results by hand when you can just put a form on your website.

Showcase excellence

Whether you’re dedicating a new wing, introducing a new physician or highlighting a specialty, a custom magazine can give your high-quality service the platform it deserves. Include patient success stories as well so your readers don’t have to take your word for it. It’s a great way to keep different people in your organization happy with your work, and one that’s easy for them to show to others as well.

Promote events

People don’t have to see the inside of your walls only when they’re sick. Photos can only show so much—let your readers see exactly how you’re improving the lives of their fellow citizens with their own eyes.

Promoting your hospital events on your website and on social media is great, but that only helps if people visit your pages or follow you. By promoting your events in a custom publication, you can drive attendance by ensuring that the details permeate the surrounding community.

A single blog post isn’t nearly enough to talk about all of the ways you can use a custom magazine to improve your brand. If you’re not convinced, we’ll be updating this blog with case studies of hospitals that have used them to their advantage. Check back or contact us to learn more today.